“We’re Building It Together”: Community-led Nature Restoration in West Kalimantan

“This forest is the lifeline of our community,” says Pak Sodik Asmoro; a barrel-chested bear of a man, whose enormous paws once gripped a chainsaw in the forests of West Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). “We used to cut the trees to get our hands on instant cash,” he admits. “But soon we couldn’t even find enough wood to build our own homes. That’s when I knew something had to change.”

Today, as head of the local community forest management unit (LPHP), Sodik’s hands hold a radio, which he uses to coordinate a team of rangers on patrol. It regularly crackles into life with news of wildlife sightings: proboscis monkeys, red langurs, rare orchids, and orangutans; each one a sign of nature bouncing back. Sodik and his team patrol a protected zone of 4,000 hectares in the Melemba village forest (Hutan Desa), one of four areas covered by the second phase of the Bentang Kalimantan Tangguh project (BKT II), where over 3,000 hectares have already been committed to conservation.

The stakes are high. Like many forests in Indonesia, this region is under serious pressure from illegal logging and land clearance by members of remote farming communities. Between 2012-2018, an average of 51,782 hectares of forest were lost each year. But now, thanks to a long-term collaboration between local communities, BKT and the Rimba Collective, a new model of forest protection is taking root; grounded in community ownership, it focuses on patient, bottom-up progress.

About the BKT II Project

Covering 14,249 hectares of tropical rainforest in the Kapuas Hulu District of West Kalimantan, the BKT II project works in partnership with four village forests (Kensuray, Lanjak, Melemba and Tamao). One of the key pathways to progress has been helping people living in remote communities to design and implement nature restoration strategies; people like Pak Sodik and his team.

BKT in Brief:

Covers 14,249 hectares in the Kapuas Hulu District of West Kalimantan
Home to 78 endangered species of flora and fauna
An Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) project
Recognised as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)
An essential buffer zone between the Sentarum Lake and Betung Kerihun National Parks
Part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves

In Melemba and elsewhere, the BKT II approach has focused on tapping into local knowledge in communities which have long relied on nature for their livelihoods, or derived a sense of value from exploring their forests. In the village of Tamao, this connection to nature is personified in another patrol team, who are demonstrating the positive outcomes that can grow from a community-led conservation approach.

The longhouse in Melemba, home to 112 people from 37 families. In the last year, this building has become a hub for knowledge transfer and the creation of new conservation strategies balanced with sustainable livelihood opportunities (photo: Ivan Batara)

“We used to cut the trees to get our hands on instant cash, but soon we couldn’t even find enough wood to build our own homes. That’s when I knew something had to change.” – Pak Sodik Asmoro, Head of the Melemba LPHD (photo: Chris Alexander)

Covering four remote villages, the project area has been designated as a 'Conservation District' by the government of Indonesia since 2015. Here, the BKT II approach focuses on collaboration with farming communities living on the periphery of the forest (photo: Ivan Batara)

This REDD project safeguards 89% forest cover and 11% non-forest cover, including lakes, swamps and shrubs in the Kapuas Hulu District of West Kalimantan (photo: Chris Alexander)

Key to this approach is regular patrols by the LPHD in all four village forests, which document biodiversity and serve as a deterrent to illegal or destructive activities (photo: Chris Alexander)

These patrols are revealing the incredible biodiversity of the region, which includes various amphibian and reptile species, such as this snake and its prey (photo: Chris Alexander)

The flooded forests of Melemba are also an ideal habitat for rare plant species, like pitcher plants, black orchids and moon orchids (photo: Chris Alexander)

The BKT II project forms an essential buffer zone between the Sentarum Lake and Betung Kerihun National Parks. This makes the region a vital wildlife corridor for orangutans (photo: Chris Alexander)

Forest Protection, Patrols, and Monitoring

“Since I was a child, I’ve lived close to the forest, so I’ve always felt at home here – it’s like going back to my own house,” says forest ranger Modestus Christophorus Marapia Balah (known to his friends as Balah). At 30 years old, he leads a six-person SMART Patrol team, made up of villagers from nearby Tamao, who spend 6 days a month in the forest documenting signs of wildlife, tracking species like sun bears and clouded leopards, and monitoring the health of key water sources.

| Key definition: SMART Patrols

Forest patrol teams working with the Rimba Collective often use the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool, or SMART. This is an open-source, freely available software suite that offers a number of important benefits to their work:

Standardised field data collection via mobile devices
Data storage and visualisation (maps, reports and dashboards)
Performance analysis to guide decision-making processes

Balah and his team are the living embodiment of community buy-in. He attributes this commitment in part to the support they have received. “The Rimba Collective has helped us stay organised, focused and motivated,” he explains. “We’re protecting our own forest and we’re being paid for it – that’s an incredible opportunity; it shows us that people from outside care about Tamao. Why wouldn’t we, the ones who live here, care just as much?”

When I wear my uniform outside the village, people are impressed; it shows them communities like ours can protect and benefit from the forest.

Balah

Leader of the Tamao Forest Patrol Team

Balah believes these positive developments can be the spark for the expansion of community-led protection models in neighbouring villages. “When I wear my uniform outside the village, people ask me about Tamao,” he says, before adding that they’re impressed when he tells them about his work. “It shows them that even remote communities like ours can protect and benefit from their forests.”

In Tamao, monthly patrols now cover 16 monitoring blocks per monthly cycle. Threats like illegal logging and poaching are documented and reported. And here too, the teams are seeing signs of progress: “Before, we’d find 10 snares,” says Fransa Sudung Anukagalung (Sudung), an expert botanist and field manager for the BKT II project. “Now it’s just one or two.” But the biggest shift, he says, has been psychological. “Village governments, traditional councils, LPHDs – they’re proposing their own conservation rules now. That didn’t come from outside. It came from within.”

“This project shows us that people from outside care about Tamao. Why wouldn’t we, the ones who live here, care just as much?” – Balah, Leader of the Tamao Forest Patrol Team (photo: Chris Alexander)

Balah and his team regularly monitor the health of the forest, documenting its growth and diversity (photo: Chris Alexander)

As the trees in this forest grow, so too does the team’s motivation – every positive data point gathered on patrol is a sign of progress and a step in the right direction (photo: Chris Alexander)

Using canoes, cameras, radios, uniforms and training provided by Rimba Collective funding, the patrol teams are able to build up a comprehensive picture of forest health (photo: Chris Alexander)

On today’s patrol, Balah discovers an ants’ nest under the roots of a tree, which has recently been excavated by a sun bear (photo: Chris Alexander)

‘Boots on the ground’ – the patrol teams wear their uniforms with pride – especially their custom-made rubber trainers, which they affectionately refer to as ‘Adidas Kalimantan’ (photo: Chris Alexander)

Community Commitment: From Scepticism to Stewardship

It hasn’t always been this way. When project activities first began in Tamao, they were met with suspicion. “There was this idea going around that we were trying to take over the forest,” explains Pak Didimus, head of the Tamao LPHD. Some villagers complained to him that outside ‘ownership’ of the forest was tantamount to theft of ancestral property. “Some people didn’t want outside institutions managing it,” he says, “they were concerned that if it gets sold, they’ll be left with nothing.”

These concerns are indicative of a community that’s been stung before. Didimus knew he had to demonstrate the new project was different. “We explained to them that the LPHD doesn’t own the forest and doesn’t want to ban traditional practices,” he remembers. “Instead, we just want to manage them sustainably. Managing doesn’t mean banning; it means protecting, regulating and using only what we need, with care.”

Without trust, there is no communication; and without communication, there is no progress.

Didimus

Head of the Tamao LPHD

Pak Hermanus is the head of the village. He believes nature restoration is as much a social issue as it is ecological, and has been working closely with Didimus and the LPHD to shift local perspectives. He explains the programme is currently being integrated into official village governance structures like the Village Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMDES) and annual workplans, and insists this kind of collaborative approach is what sets the BKT II project apart from previous collaborations. “Other projects were always top-down,” he recalls, revealing his own lingering resentment. “We didn’t know where the plans came from. But the Rimba Collective is different; the plans come from the community itself. It’s bottom-up.”

Healing old scars takes time and trust. As Didimus explains, “without trust, there is no communication; and without communication, there is no progress.” For this collaboration to really work, Didimus believes the community will need to see evidence – both of positive outcomes, and of the project’s promise to stick with them for the long haul. “If we succeed in the first 5 years,” he says, “I believe the next 20 will bear sweet fruit.”

BKT II Actions:	BKT II Targets:
Establish and support Village Forest Management Units (LPHD) Set up forest-based livelihood cooperatives (KUPS) Facilitate community-led patrols, training and biodiversity monitoring in the forest	14,249 hectares of tropical rainforest conserved 78 species of flora and fauna protected 10 KUPS established across four villages 646 households with improved income through project activities 193 women benefitting from empowerment activities

“Managing doesn’t mean banning; it means protecting, regulating and using only what we need, with care.” – Pak Didimus, Head of the Tamao LPHD (photo: Chris Alexander)

The new LPHD office in Tamao, built with funding support from the Rimba Collective (photo: Chris Alexander)

“Other projects were always top-down, but the Rimba Collective is different; the plans come from the community itself. It’s bottom-up.” – Pak Hermanus, Head of Tamao Village (photo: Chris Alexander)

One of the LPHD’s main areas of focus has been protecting natural water sources in the forest. These efforts are channeling fresh drinking water into the communities, along with sustainable new livelihood opportunities for those who live there (photo: Chris Alexander)

“The LPHD doesn’t own the forest and doesn’t want to ban traditional practices.” In Tamao and Melemba, villagers are creating their own plans for the use of resources, which include sustainable fisheries and ecotourism (photo: Chris Alexander)

“People say: don’t cut trees there, because tourists want to see them; don’t poison the fish here, because no one will catch anything later.” – Pak Sodik Asmoro, Head of the Melemba LPHD (photo: Chris Alexander)

“During the dry season, fish from the drying lakes gather in Melemba’s 12 permanent lakes. It’s where they breed and then spread again when the waters rise.” – Pak Sodik Asmoro (photo: Chris Alexander)

The lakes of Melemba support large aggregations of endemic fish species like arowana (dragonfish), emperor fish, toman (snakehead) and tigerfish. Those caught here, like this snakehead (known locally as ikan kerandang), are used to feed the community; fishing trips for tourists are carefully controlled, with strict catch-and-release rules designed to ensure the sustainability of breeding populations (photo: Chris Alexander)

Biodiversity and Belief in Melemba

Back in Melemba, Sodik and his LPHD team are busy conducting their own monthly patrols, biodiversity surveys, and community education programmes. They regularly thread the waterways of this flooded forest in dugout canoes, silently observing and documenting signs of life, from dragonflies, orchids, and pitcher plants to snakes, hornbills, and frogs. Rimba Collective funding support has been invaluable, providing the patrol team with training, radios, GPS units, canoes, cameras, and biodiversity monitoring tools – everything they need to monitor the health of the forest and keep it safe.

Like Sudung, Sodik understands that real change will not happen overnight. But he sees this new partnership as a break with the disappointments of the past. “Rimba’s long-term commitment is rare and powerful,” he says. “It lets us build a future, not just fix problems.” Now, Sodik and his team are using Rimba Collective funding to find new ways to enjoy the fruits of a healthy forest. And one of these new avenues is ecotourism.

Rimba’s long-term commitment is rare and powerful. It lets us build a future, not just fix problems.

Sodik Asmoro

Head of the Melemba LPHD

Back in 2019, Melemba welcomed 682 international tourists, who generated over IDR 700 million (US$ 43,000) in income for local guides; a livelihood that relies on a healthy forest to be profitable. Since Rimba Collective funding began in February 2024, Sodik has developed his own vision for the region, in which tourists can visit and explore the forest and enjoy responsible encounters with its wildlife. “Tourists come here because it’s wild,” he says, “not polished, not artificial. That’s our strength.” Building on this strength, Sodik and his team run catch-and-release fishing tours, nature retreats, and expeditions in search of orangutans.

As in Tamao, the economic benefits demonstrated by this new enterprise have had ripple effects in neighbouring communities too. Nearby villages like Tempuraw are beginning to adopt similar conservation strategies after seeing Melemba’s success. “There’s real peer-to-peer accountability now,” says Sodik. “People say: don’t cut trees there, because tourists want to see them; don’t poison the fish here, because no one will catch anything later.”

Since putting down his chainsaw and picking up the radio, Sodik has become a kind of oracle for many of the local people living and working these forests, and an expert guide to those who visit. He recognises each individual orangutan in the landscape, knows where they build their nests and when their favourite trees come into fruit (he even ‘chats’ with them, imitating their own range of vocalisations). In his role as leader of the LPHD, Sodik has found a model through which his in-depth knowledge can be shared, upscaled, and monetised to achieve nature-positive outcomes for the forest and his community. In his story, like those of other community members working alongside BKT, the potential and the progress associated with community-led conservation, when facilitated by long-term corporate financing, are coming to fruition.

Around 40 species of flora and fauna categorised as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered have been identified in the BKT II project area (photo: Chris Alexander)

Through regular patrols, BKT II is monitoring and addressing threats to forest biodiversity in the project area, while bringing a target of 78 species under protection (photo: Chris Alexander)

The rangers regularly see snakes sunning themselves on branches overhanging the rivers (photo: Chris Alexander)

“We’re not just protecting the forest; we’re living it, and sharing its story with others.” With training and equipment provided by Rimba Collective funding, rangers like Balah and Sofri Jodosmoro (above) are documenting the biodiversity of their forest and co-designing community-led conservation approaches (photo: Chris Alexander)

The lakes and rivers of the Melemba HD are incredibly rich in amphibian species (photo: Chris Alexander)

The Melemba LPHD manages over 4,000 hectares of village forest, with more than 3,000 hectares currently under conservation commitment (photo: Chris Alexander)

Twisted vines of carnivorous pitcher plants are a common sight on the banks of Melemba’s lakes. Their nectar attracts a wide range of insects, which are consumed by the plant (photo: Chris Alexander)

The village forest in Melemba is a verdant waterworld, which not only supports a wide range of biodiversity, but also provides the lifeblood of new economic opportunities for local communities (photo: Ivan Batara)

The Architects and Builders of Progress

All five voices in this story—Balah, Sudung, Didimus, Hermanus, and Sodik—point to a single, shared truth: real progress takes time, trust, and patience. The strength of the Rimba Collective's approach lies in its long-term vision, its equitable partnership model, and its faith in the people who live in and around the forests themselves. Most importantly, the Rimba Collective and BKT have entrusted these communities to follow their own pathways to progress.

Where previous projects imposed pre-packaged solutions, this partnership works slowly, collaboratively, and from the ground up; helping communities become stewards, scientists, and storytellers in their own landscapes. As Didimus puts it, “this collaboration is different; it humanises, it empowers, it gives us hope.”

For local forest rangers like Balah, the BKT II project is galvanising personal passion and providing a sense of pride: “I love this forest deeply, and I want to keep working to protect it,” he says. “I also hope the Rimba Collective can support broader economic development for our village; that way, all community members can benefit by developing forest-based products and tourism.”

Conservation can often be a frustratingly incremental process. In this journey, momentum is key. Every patrol, every animal sighting, every person putting boots on the ground and walking the project forward, represents a step in a positive direction. By engaging with local communities, listening to their concerns, and empowering them to be the architects of their own approach to nature restoration, the Rimba Collective and BKT have laid the foundation for long-term impact at scale.

As Didimus explains, “we’re no longer waiting for change – we’re building it.”

With funding support from the Rimba Collective, the BKT II project is helping to restore nature in West Kalimantan through a long-term, community-led conservation approach (photo: Chris Alexander)

ABOUT THE RIMBA COLLECTIVE

The Rimba Collective is an innovative, long-term collaboration between leading consumer goods manufacturers, NGOs, and forest-dependent communities in Southeast Asia. Our aim is to protect landscapes, livelihoods, and biodiversity through a portfolio of high-quality conservation and restoration projects. Over the next 25 years and beyond, this approach will achieve lasting, long-term impact at scale, with over 550,000 hectares of rich forest landscapes protected and 32,000 local livelihoods improved.

To find out more and to join the Rimba Collective, please get in touch.

ABOUT PERKUMPULAN BENTANG KALIMANTAN TANGGUH (BKT)

BKT is a project developer and operator working in West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. They develop and operate high-integrity projects which provide benefits to climate, community and biodiversity. BKT projects provide natural solutions to the climate crisis by reducing emissions and sequestering carbon, helping biodiversity grow and flourish, and empowering local and Indigenous communities to thrive and be resilient.